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Newly diagnosed and alone

Darthspider360

Hi all,

I am Caspian [he/they]! I'm newly diagnosed and never had much support around Autism and neuro diversity so hoping to learn and maybe make friends here. 

Does anyone have any tips that can help start my journey in accepting myself and navigating the world with this new view. I have limited support and little family understanding. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

  • Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!

    As a starting point, you might find the NAS articles here helpful - they include perspectives from other autistic people:

    NAS - After diagnosis - including: 

    • How will I feel after receiving an autism diagnosis?
    • Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
    • Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
    • Formal support following an autism diagnosis
    • What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

    Therapy or counselling are often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you might instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS. 

    Before arranging anything, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    Finally, in respect of accepting and taking care of yourself, and navigating the world, here are a couple of books that I and others have found helpful early on in our post-diagnosis journeys:

    Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

    How to Be Autistic (free download currently available via this page)